


of friendship and forgiveness

by melissa13



Category: Anne of Green Gables (TV 1985) & Related Fandoms, Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Enemies to Friends, F/M, Gilbert to the Rescue, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2019-06-26 00:20:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15651918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melissa13/pseuds/melissa13
Summary: Gilbert rescues Anne, and Anne's not very happy about it. Also, Billy Andrews is a jerk. Post-Season 2.





	of friendship and forgiveness

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is my twist on the Lady of Shallot scene from the books/movies. Since they already attempted it in the show, I doubt they'll try it again, but I really wanted Gilbert to save Anne at some point so this is what I came up with. 
> 
> I've borrowed quotes straight from the book as well as the movie that I thought might fit, so if you see something familiar, that's why :)

It was springtime in Avonlea again, Anne’s favorite time of the year. The rebirth of the forests and fields she walked through daily made her heart sing with delight. The very air around her seemed to hum with life as bees buzzed to and fro and birds called out their afternoon greetings.

The Lake of Shining Waters was teeming with life as the Avonlea schoolchildren descended upon its banks on assignment from Miss Stacy. They were studying ecosystems in class that day, a topic that normally would had interested Anne tremendously. However, Miss Stacy had chosen partners for them to explore with, and to Anne’s immense displeasure, she had somehow ended up with Billy Andrews.

Anne had long ago decided that if she had a sworn enemy on this earth, it was Billy Andrews.

The boy in question made a derisive noise at her as she came to stand next to him before he turned and sauntered towards the lake. Diana eyed her worriedly from where she stood nearby with Charlie Sloane, and Anne gave her bosom friend a look of resignation as she reluctantly trudged after Billy. She followed him to the dock where he promptly proceeded to start scanning the ground for rocks. Anne withheld an annoyed groan and walked down the dock to observe a charming cluster of lily pads.

It was amazing to her that so much life could be found in such a small area. On one of the lily pads, a small frog sat, and Anne watched enraptured as his mouth opened suddenly to catch a fly on his tongue. She smiled brightly, in awe as a snapping turtle paddled along nearby, startling the frog from its perch. Further across the lake, a graceful swan was teaching her ducklings how to fish, and every so often, she would dive under the water, leaving her white tail sticking up in the air.

So many creatures living in day to day harmony, Anne mused. And those were just the ones she could see. Beneath the surface were different plants and algaes that were essential to maintaining the equilibrium of the lake’s ecosystem. Every organism had its own part to play in the grand scheme.

Anne heard voices nearby and glanced up to see Gilbert Blythe pointing something out to Ruby Gillis whose starry-eyed face could hardly be persuaded to look away from his to see what they were supposed to be observing.

Anne sighed. Ruby had been over the moon when Miss Stacy had partnered her with Gilbert, while Anne had found herself strangely displeased by it, perhaps even more so than she was about her own partner. Gilbert was smart, as Anne had grudgingly admitted to herself on more than one occasion; he needed a partner who would challenge him, not someone who hung on his every word as if it was the gospel. It was an unkind to her enamored friend, Anne thought, but no less true.

Anne realized she’d been staring at them for some time when Gilbert shifted his attention her way and caught her eye. Her eyes widened as he smiled, tossing her a playful wink over Ruby’s shoulder, and Anne turned away hastily, feeling her cheeks warm in what she was sure was an entirely unbecoming shade of red.

She gave her attention back to her lily pad nook, and began a small sketch of the ecosystem she had found, determined not to look over at Gilbert and Ruby again. Although she was nowhere near as good of an artist as Cole, she took joy in drawing the enchanting scene, and pretended she was Monet, painting his famous water lilies. Suddenly, the tranquility of the lily pads was disturbed by several rocks being tossed in the water in front of her.

“Must you be such a nuisance?” she exclaimed, glaring at Billy, who had made his way to the end of the dock.

He only snickered and started skipping rocks across the lake. Anne huffed in exasperation. If he didn’t want to complete the lesson that was fine, but did he had to torment her when she was trying to enhance her own knowledge? What had Miss Stacy been thinking when she’d partnered Anne with such a brute?

The brute in question had found new victims to torture and skipped his rocks in the direction of the family of swans. Anne watched, growing increasingly upset as he missed the first couple of times before finally hitting one of the ducklings in the face, causing it to squeak piteously.

“Billy Andrews, you stop that right now!” Anne said, dropping her slate and hurrying to the end of the dock.

“Awww, is the ugly duckling worried about her fellow feathered friends?” he mocked, sending another rock sailing towards the swans.

Anne watched helplessly as it hit another precious duckling. “I said, leave them alone, Billy!”

“Why don’t you make me?” Billy sneered, not even looking at her as he winded back to toss another stone.

In that moment, something inside of Anne snapped at seeing him harassing such innocent creatures. She vaguely thought she heard Diana calling her name in concern, but Anne ignored her, intent on the rocks in Billy’s hand. Only, when she grabbed his hand to extract them from his fingertips, she didn’t count on Billy shoving her in his attempt to escape her grasp.

“Get off me, orphan!”

_“Anne!”_

Anne put her arms out to find balance, hearing thundering footsteps coming towards her, but it was too late. Billy had pushed her to the edge of the dock and she could do nothing but brace herself as she fell backwards into the lake.

* * *

“I said, leave them alone, Billy!”

Gilbert’s head snapped up from where he and Ruby were examining some tadpoles, to see Anne advancing down the dock towards Billy. Noticing Gilbert’s attention shift from the tadpoles to the dock, Ruby also looked up.

“Oh no,” she moaned nervously, and Gilbert stood up from where he was crouched down by the water’s edge.

“Why don’t you make me?”

A general feeling of foreboding washed over him, and Gilbert started heading towards Anne and Billy. He wasn’t the only one either.

“Anne,” Diana called, suddenly at his side as they reached the dock at the same time.

Both of them watched in horror as Anne reached over and grabbed Billy’s hand, only to have him push her away.

“Get off me, orphan!”

“Anne!” Gilbert yelled, as Diana gasped loudly, her hands coming up to cover her mouth.

Gilbert raced up the dock towards them, but he was too late. She toppled backwards into the lake, making a loud splash into the water. Angrily, he turned to Billy, grabbing him by the front of his shirt, ready to lay into him, but Diana’s words made his blood run cold.

“Gilbert!” She tugged on his sleeve, and he heard tears in her voice. “Gilbert! _Anne can’t swim!_ She doesn’t know how!”

Gilbert swung his panicked gaze over to where Anne had fallen, and his heart stopped when he realized that she hadn’t resurfaced. The dock extended a decent length away from the shore, and the water there was much deeper, too deep to stand. His body was moving before his mind even registered it, and suddenly he’d jumped in after her.

The water was freezing, but he hardly felt it, his heart pounding in his chest as he opened his eyes and searched for Anne in the murky water. She wasn’t far from him; she wasn’t even far from the surface, in fact, but her arms were flailing in distress. His eyes darted around her and he quickly spied that the hem of her dress was caught on the branch of a fallen log and it was preventing her from rising to the surface. Gilbert sprung into action, swimming down to where she was entangled, wasting no time in ripping her dress away from the sharp branch it was ensnared on. Once she was free, Gilbert tugged her into his arms and kicked them both up to the surface.

They broke through with heaving gasps, and Gilbert had a firm grip on her, keeping her above him as he treaded water. Anne seemed okay but disoriented, and her gray eyes widened in shock to see him holding her.

“Anne, are you alright?” Gilbert asked her urgently.

She coughed a little but nodded, averting her gaze, and Gilbert sighed in relief, swimming them over to the dock.

“Anne!” Diana exclaimed above them, “Oh, Anne, are you okay?”

By this time, most of the class had gathered on the dock, watching them anxiously, or in Josie Pye’s case, triumphantly. Gilbert helped Anne up the dock’s ladder before following her up, and watched as Diana, Ruby, and Jane descended on her, fretting over her waterlogged dress and hair. Gilbert barely paid them any attention, focusing on Anne’s pale face to determine if she was really fine. Luckily, she hadn’t been under very long, so he didn’t think there was any water in her lungs.

Spying Billy still in the crowd, his anger swelled again, and he rounded on him, only to be held back by Charlie and Moody. “What the hell was that, Billy?” he exclaimed. “You could’ve killed her!”

“It was an accident!” Billy claimed, his face growing red. “If she hadn’t put her ugly orphan hands on me, she wouldn’t have fallen in!”

At this insult, Gilbert struggled even more fiercely against Charlie and Moody to get to him, but his friends held firm.

“What is going on here?!” came Miss Stacy’s voice as she and the rest of the class joined them on the dock. Her eyes took in Anne’s pale, shivering form and a drenched Gilbert glaring angrily at Billy. “Someone explain this instant!”

“Anne jumped in the lake, Miss Stacy,” Josie said before anyone else.

Several of the girls audibly gasped at the statement, and Gilbert’s head whipped around wildly, his mouth falling open in outrage.

“That is not true,” Anne retorted, finally finding her voice, her eyes blazing. “You take that back, Josie Pye!”

“Anne,” Miss Stacy said, sending her a warning glance.

“Please, Miss Stacy,” Diana pleaded, her arm around Anne’s shoulders. “Billy _pushed_ Anne into the lake ( _“She fell!_ ” Billy protested.), and she can’t swim, so Gilbert jumped in and rescued her.”

“It was most heroical,” Ruby chimed in eagerly, looking at Gilbert with those moony eyes he tried so hard to avoid.

Miss Stacy sighed. “All right, everyone back to the schoolhouse,” she directed. “This particular lesson is over for now. Anne, Gilbert, you’re dismissed for the day. I don’t want you to catch a chill in those wet clothes, so please go straight home.”

She grabbed an unrepentant Billy by the arm, and urged him down the dock, and the rest of the class dutifully followed behind her. When he swung his gaze around to look at Anne, he found her staring right back at him, a warmth in her eyes like he’d seen the day they’d parted in Charlottetown and again at Bash and Mary’s wedding. He blinked, feeling warm himself despite his sopping wet clothes.

He suddenly felt a light touch on his arm, and looked down to see Ruby standing next to him. “Thank you for saving Anne, Gilbert,” she said in that soft voice of hers.

Before he could even think about moving, she had stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

_Oh, no._

* * *

“Thank you for saving Anne, Gilbert.”

Anne’s heart, which had swelled three times over when she’d seen who her rescuer was, now dropped down to her feet as she watched Ruby peck a kiss to Gilbert’s wet cheek. Whereas she had been warm with appreciation and some other emotion she couldn’t name, she now only felt the cold misery of being completely soaked through.

“Uh, it was nothing,” Gilbert stuttered, casting Anne a contrite look as Ruby continued to look up at him adoringly.

Anne drew herself up with as much grace as she could, as regal as Mary, Queen of Scots. “Yes, I’m sure I’m very grateful for your assistance, _Mr. Blythe_ ,” she said curtly, since it would have been poor manners not to thank him.

Gilbert’s brow furrowed in confusion and he opened his mouth to speak, but Anne had already swept away with as much dignity as someone who most likely resembled a drowned rat could.

“Anne, that wasn’t very nice,” Diana chided in a whisper, keeping pace with her down the dock. “Gilbert just saved your life.”

Anne scoffed. “I would have been fine,” she asserted, ignoring the minute of sheer terror she’d experienced when she’d been surrounded by water on all sides with no hope of reaching the surface.

Anne picked up her slate and hat from where she’d dropped them earlier and put the hat primly on top of her wet head. Quick footsteps behind her indicated that she had a very determined Gilbert Blythe on her heels so she marched off the dock to evade him. It was no use, of course.

“I’ll walk you home, Anne.”

Stopping to send him a long suffering expression, she said, “If you _must_.”

His gave her one of those inscrutable looks, though it was accompanied by a small smirk. “Yes,” he said simply. “I must.”

He hurried to grab his satchel, slinging it over his shoulder as Anne said a sullen goodbye to Diana and Ruby, who cast a longing glance back at Gilbert as Diana escorted her to the schoolhouse.

Anne started off down the lane, not looking back to see if Gilbert was following her, but hearing his footsteps a couple paces behind her. She experienced a brief moment of deja vu, and thought back to their first meeting. Billy Andrews was the common denominator between the two events, as was her would-be rescuer trying desperately to get her attention as they walked along.

“How are you feeling?”

“Fine.”

“No water in your airways?”

“No.”

“No chills or a headache coming on?” He persisted. “Blurry vision?”

“No, _Dr. Blythe_.”

His presence disappeared from her side, and she peered over her shoulder to see Gilbert had halted abruptly on the path. The hurt expression on his face instantly made Anne feel about two inches tall.

“Are you _mad_ at me for saving you?” He asked incredulously. “What was I supposed to do, let you drown?”

Stubbornly, Anne remained silent, averting her gaze.

“I don’t understand you, Anne,” he said, his voice cracking with frustration. “One minute we’re fine, and then the next, you push me away. Why can’t we be friends?”

She gave an impatient sigh. “We _are_ friends.”

“Not like you are with Diana or Cole or even Jerry,” Gilbert pointed out. “What makes me so different? Why do you put this wall up between us?”

“Because you’re off limits!” Anne blurted out.

Her eyes widened in panic, and she immediately clapped a hand over her mouth. Her words seemed to echo in the silence thereafter. What had come over her to say such a thing? Why, oh why, did he have to push her so hard?

Gilbert squinted at her. “I’m _what_?”

Anne shook her head, turning around to continue walking. “No, just, forget I said anything.”

“No, I want to know what you mean,” he demanded, grabbing her wrist and swinging her back to face him. “Why am I off limits?”

Growing frustrated herself, Anne shook him off. “Why don’t you figure it out, if you’re so clever.”

He studied her face, and Anne realized how close they were standing. “It’s Ruby, isn’t it?” Anne didn’t answer. Gilbert threw his head back, glaring up at the sky in exasperation. “Of course I’ve noticed her crush on me, but it’s _not reciprocated,_ Anne _._ Besides, it’s not like I have ‘Property of Ruby Gillis’ tattooed on my body, do I?”

Anne felt her cheeks grow warm. “Well, no, but—“

Gilbert groaned. “Then, what is the problem?” He placed his hands on Anne’s shoulders and she had to remind herself to breathe. “This childishness has gone on long enough. Anne, from day one, the only thing I’ve ever wanted is to be your friend.”

“Well, you sure had a funny way of showing it,” Anne said crossly, trying not to soften in the face of his sincerity. “Teasing me about my hair, in front of the whole class nonetheless. It was _excruciating_.”

“I was an idiot,” he admitted. “I just wanted you to pay attention to me! I’m sorry I ever said anything about your hair. You’ve no idea how sorry,” Gilbert added softly, all his frustration seeming to have evaporated. He fingered one of her damp locks almost reverently. “Please, can’t you forgive me, Anne?”

Anne bit her lip. How on earth was she supposed to say no to that?

* * *

Gilbert watched with bated breath as Anne bit her lip, and he tried not to think about how red and inviting it made her lips look against her porcelain skin. Friends definitely didn’t think about one another’s lips, that was for sure, and if now was his one chance to finally be friends with Anne, he didn’t want to blow it, so he focused instead on her gray-green eyes. They looked hesitant, but not unyielding.

“All right,” she said finally after a long silence. “I forgive you, Gilbert.”

Gilbert threw up his arms triumphantly and whooped loudly, gratified when his reaction produced a smile on Anne’s face.

“We were born to be good friends, Anne,” Gilbert told her matter-a-factly, feeling his grin stretch from ear to ear. “You’ve thwarted destiny long enough.”

Her cheeks took on a rosy hue. “Yes, well, I suppose I won’t be sorry to be proven wrong,” she said lightly. Her face grew stern for a moment and she pointed a finger at him. “But I fully expect you to keep up your end of the rivalry in school. No going easy on me now that we’re really friends.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Gilbert avowed. There was a slight breeze rustling through the trees, and he steered them back down the path towards Green Gables when he noticed her shiver. “If anything, we’ve got to push ourselves harder than ever if we’re going to be the top two students from PEI to pass the Queen’s entrance exam.”

“Top two out of everyone on the whole island?” Anne asked, her expression dubious but hopeful. “You really think we can do it?”

“Oh, I know we can,” Gilbert replied confidently. “Mr. and Miss Cuthbert are going to be bragging about you to all of Avonlea, I can just see it now.”

“I don’t know that either of them knows _how_ to brag,” Anne laughed. Her voice took on a wistful note. “It _is_ my _greatest_ wish to make them proud of me, though.”

“They already are, Anne,” he told her as they came to the gate of Green Gables. “Anyone with two eyes can see that.”

“Oh, I know,” she said absently, looking ahead to where where her home stood proudly.

Gilbert was struck with the knowledge of how little he actually knew about Anne’s past before she’d come to Avonlea. He didn’t know what traumas she may have faced, but sometimes a shell shocked expression would come over her face, and he knew she was reliving something terrible. His heart ached for her then, that anyone as pure and effervescent as Anne should have to deal with such dark memories. But if there was one thing the last few years had taught Gilbert, it was that life was hardly ever fair. He hoped that since they were real friends now, she would feel comfortable about sharing that part of her life with him.

“Now, I’m prescribing dry clothes and a cup or two of hot tea,” Gilbert said, playfully stern. “Doctor’s orders.”

Anne rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. “Right away, Dr. Blythe.”

They dallied at the gate, uncertain how to say goodbye after what felt like such a monumental day. Which was why Gilbert was astonished when Anne suddenly threw her arms around him in a quick hug. He barely had time to return the embrace before she pulled away, her cheeks flushed.

“ _Thank you_ for saving me, Gilbert,” she said softly.

He felt like the happiest boy in the world at that moment. Anne had forgiven him, agreed to be friends, _and_ hugged him? It was almost too good to be true, and he knew he was smiling like a moke, as Bash would have said.

Gilbert bowed dramatically. “I am but your humble servant, Queen Anne,” he told her, hand over his heart. “No thanks necessary.”

Anne’s eyes lit up in delight, making Gilbert’s heart soar, and a small part of him thought of how lovely it would be to spend the rest of his life making her that happy.

* * *

“See you at school tomorrow,” Gilbert said, his hazel eyes lively and warm.

Anne nodded. “See you tomorrow.”

He turned and ambled away, and Anne heard him whistling the opening notes of a cheerful tune. He looked back at her and waved before heading down the lane towards the Blythe farm, and when he was out of sight, Anne dreamily made her way toward the house.

Queen Anne, Gilbert had called her. She’d only ever wanted to be Princess Cordelia, but she had to admit that Queen Anne had a wonderful ring to it.

In the kitchen, she encountered Marilla who was baking a pie. The older woman looked at her in alarm.

“Heavens, child, what’s happened to you now?” She asked, taking in her disheveled appearance. “You look like you fell in a lake!”

“I was _pushed_ in a lake,” Anne corrected, taking off her boots and placing them in front of the fire to dry.

“Pushed?” Marilla echoed in disbelief. “Pushed by whom, might I ask?”

“Billy Andrews,” Anne answered, wrinkling her nose.

Marilla shook her head, untying her apron and pulling it off. “Right then, I guess I had better go have a polite word with Mrs. Harmon Andrews.”

“It’s all right, Marilla,” Anne assured her, eyes sparkling. She would dream of Gilbert coming to her rescue every night for the next week. “I was saved by a brave knight.”   


**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it! I realize that in the books, Phil is really the one who called Anne, Queen Anne, but Gilbert does call her that eventually, and I thought it was cute. :) 
> 
> I'm currently obsessed with all things Anne, so if you are too, you can find me on tumblr as annsurelyblythe :)
> 
> Feedback is much appreciated!!


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